'My son was failed' - Noah Donohoe inquest finds tunnel errors possibly contributed to death

The PSNI said itwas a "complex and challenging investigation which garnered huge public and media interest, along with widespread speculation" and the eventual outcome was "devastating".

Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said there was "no action that police could have taken" that would have prevented Noah Donohoe's death.

He added it was important to reflect on any learnings and "ensure they are applied in the future".

He said: "Noah was a child with his whole life ahead of him. His death is a tragedy, and our thoughts remain firmly with his family and those who loved him."

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said Fiona and Noah's family are at the forefront of her mind.

"As Minister, I will make sure the department does everything it needs to ensure all lessons are learned."

• As it happened: Noah Donohoe inquest jury finds failings by department officials possibly contributed to death

Noah went missing on Sunday, 21 June 2020, after leaving his south Belfast home on his bicycle, sparking a huge search across the city.

He was found dead six days later in the water tunnel in the north of the city, which leads into Belfast Lough, with the cause of death found to be drowning.

Eyewitnesses, who were the last to see him in the vicinity of the tunnel, reported that he was naked.

The incident sparked widespread speculation about what happened to Noah, with his family launching a high-profile campaign.

There was no conclusive evidence at the inquest about why Noah was without his possessions and all the clothing he was wearing when he was last seen alive.

There was also no evidence about any physical interaction between the schoolboy and anyone else during his journey from his south Belfast to the north.

The inquest began in January, five-and-a-half years after the death of the schoolboy and following numerous delays.

Juries do not typically sit for inquests but can be summoned in certain circumstances. Noah's family had requested a jury be used, with a coroner, in 2022, agreeing that it was "desirable".

The jury deliberated for five days in total - first, for three days in June and July before the case was adjourned due to the holiday plans of some jurors; and then on Monday and Tuesday when it resumed.

The nine members - seven men and two women - had 10 questions to answer and delivered a unanimous verdict, as required by the coroners' court.

Those questions included asking the jury to summarise the scenario in which Noah's death occurred; to explain why he behaved how he did after he left the house; to say when and where he died; and whether the Department of Infrastructure's management of the tunnel or the PSNI's investigation contributed to his death.

In answering those findings, the jury found:

• That Noah died between 19:00 BST and midnight on 21 June 2020, the day he disappeared, in the lower reaches of a culvert
• That there was insufficient evidence to reach a conclusion as to explain why Noah behaved how he did when he left his home
• That it was possible, but not probable, that any error by the Department of Infrastructure in how it managed the tunnel contributed to his death
• That it was not possible any PSNI error contributed to his death
• But there were 13 failings related to the PSNI and DfI that impacted the inquest's ability to reach a conclusion on aspects relevant to his death

The finding of the time period of Noah's death means that Noah could have died before his mother raised the alarm with the police at approximately 21.45 on 21 June 2020, or within an approximate two-hour period after he was reported missing.

There was no indication at that stage of Noah's precise location, other than he had left his home off the Lower Ormeau Road to travel across the city to Cave Hill.

The initial police searches that evening and night covered a wide area of Belfast based on the limed information available at that stage about Noah's intended journey from the south to the north of the city.

Noah's presence in the Northwood Road area was not known until the following day.

• Why was the Noah Donohoe inquest held with a jury?

During the inquest, the Department for Infrastructure was criticised about aspects of its maintenance of the tunnel in terms of public access and safety.

The PSNI was also strongly criticised by the legal team representing Fiona Donohoe.

During the inquest, the police chief in charge of the investigation apologised to the boy's mother for "missed" investigative opportunities.

Before the jury resumed their deliberations on Monday 14 September, the coroner Mr Justice Rooney announced that one juror, who had taken part in the previous phase of the deliberations, had been discharged.

No reason was given in public for the man's removal from the process.

In a statement read outside of court, Fiona Donohoe said she had left with "one clear answer" - that her son was failed by the department and police.

She added that both had "sought to blame Noah" to deflect from their own failings and that inquest had exposed "a culture of institutional defensiveness" at the heart of those public bodies.

Fiona Donohoe added that "answers of 'I don't know' and 'I can't recall' permeated the evidence heard at the inquest".

"It's easy to say you don't know when you failed to find out," she said, adding that Noah "deserved better".

Her solicitor, Niall Murphy, said it "should be a basic minimum" that the department "prevent access by children to deadly culverts" and that "when a child of our society goes missing, the PSNI do all in their power to find out what happened to him".

He said the jury's findings are as a result of Fiona Donohoe "tireless pursuit" of information.

"It is completely wrong that when a mother has had to investigate her own son's disappearance and death, that is left to the PSNI and DfI alone, we would never have any answers at all."

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